U.S. Department of Justice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2005
WWW.USDOJ.GOV

CRM
(202) 514-2008
TDD (202) 514-1888

HIGH-RANKING MEMBER OF COLOMBIAN FARC NARCO-TERRORIST ORGANIZATION EXTRADITED TO U.S. ON DRUG CHARGES

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, Assistant Attorney
General Christopher A. Wray of the Criminal Division and DEA Administrator
Karen P. Tandy announced today that a high-ranking member of the designated
foreign terrorist organization Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or
FARC, has been extradited by the government of Colombia to the United States
to face prosecution on drug charges.

Nayibe Rojas Valderama, a/k/a “Sonia” and “Omaira Rojas Cabrera,” arrived from
Colombia yesterday in the Washington metropolitan area. She is scheduled to
have an initial appearance at 10 a.m. today in the U.S. District Court in the
District of Columbia.

Rojas Valderama was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in
the District of Columbia on Dec. 18, 2003, unsealed today, charging her with
narcotics trafficking in violation of U.S. law, 21 U.S.C. §§ 952, 959 and 963.
The narcotics indictment charges Rojas Valderama and another high-level member
of the FARC, Jose Benito Cabrera Cuevas, a/k/a “Fabian Ramirez,” and two
international drug traffickers with conspiring to import five kilograms or
more of cocaine into the United States and conspiring to manufacture and
distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine intending and knowing that the
cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States. The indictment
also seeks the forfeiture of all FARC assets derived from the alleged
violations.

A number of FARC members and criminal associates have been charged with
terrorism and drug-related crimes in U.S. indictments. In addition to
narcotics trafficking, the indictments charge the FARC and its members with,
among other crimes, the kidnapping and murder of U.S. citizens. Rojas
Valderama is the third FARC member to be extradited from Colombia to the
United States.

“The extradition of Rojas Valderama highlights the extraordinary cooperation
between the United States and Colombia on the critical issue of cutting off
the flow of illegal drugs,” said Attorney General Gonzales. “Together, we will
fight the criminals who threaten the safety and security of both of our
countries.”

“The FARC is a dangerous organization of terrorists, drug traffickers,
kidnappers and murderers,” said Assistant Attorney General Wray. “Our
indictments and extradition requests should send a clear message to all who
participate in or support their deplorable and criminal violations of U.S.
law: We will continue to work tirelessly with our foreign partners to see that
you are brought to justice.”

The investigation resulting in these charges and the extradition was led by
the Drug Enforcement Administration, working with trial attorneys from the
Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS) of the Criminal Division. The case
is being prosecuted in the District of Columbia by NDDS and the U.S.
Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Rojas Valderama’s
extradition was assisted by the Criminal Division’s Office of International
Affairs.

“The indictment and extradition of the FARC commander known as ‘Sonia’ has
shown the FARC for what it is: murderous drug profiteers terrorizing their
fellow citizens and poisoning Americans with tons of cocaine,” said DEA
Administrator Tandy. “Sonia’s extradition is a victory not only for the people
of Colombia and the United States, but for the rule of law.”

The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations. All defendants
are presumed innocent until and unless convicted in a court of law.

The FARC, a violent narco-terrorist guerrilla group operating in Colombia,
controls large portions of Colombia and finances its violent conflict with the
Colombian government by engaging in drug trafficking, augmented by other means
including kidnapping and extortion. Drug trafficking is the lifeblood of the
FARC because it enables the FARC to acquire weapons, ammunition and equipment
necessary to carry on its violent attacks. DEA estimates that the FARC
controls approximately 70 percent of the Colombian cocaine trade, and
approximately 80 to 90 percent of the cocaine that is shipped to the United
States comes from Colombia. The FARC produces and distributes thousands of
kilograms per month for export to the United States and other countries. Since
at least the early 1960s, the FARC has been violently anti-American and has
worked against the interests of the United States, announcing in March 1998
that all U.S. officials are “legitimate military targets.”

According to the FARC’s own website and Colombian news accounts, Jose Benito
Cabrera Cuevas is the leader of the 14th Front of the FARC, and Rojas
Valderama was, prior to her arrest, the finance officer for the 14th Front.
There are approximately 64 fronts, or guerrilla units, in the FARC. Currently,
Cabrera Cuevas is a member of the Central General Staff, the second-highest
governing body of the FARC, and he is second-in-command of the Southern Block.
The Southern Block is composed of 12 fronts containing approximately 600 to
700 FARC members.